Episode Summary
In this episode, Su Wuming quickly solves a domestic murder, only to be drawn into the fatal shooting of a coroner named Dong Yue during a birthday party for the legendary coroner Geng Wushang. The investigation reveals a mysterious "General Lü," a manipulated waiter, and a city-wide coroner competition that seems to be the motive for the murder.
Spoiler Alert
A Quick End to One Case
The Husband's Suspicions Pay Off
So, Su Wuming takes a look at the woman's body from the last episode. He confirms everything the mortician, Yin Yao, said. The cause of death was definitely strangulation. Luckily, Yin Yao didn't cover up the ligature marks with makeup. The truth was right there for them to see.
The old husband already had his own theory. He suspected his new wife was the killer. Apparently, she was cheating on him whenever he left town. The dead woman, his daughter-in-law, had caught her in the act before. On the day of the murder, the wife claimed she saw the body hanging and got so scared she ran straight to her mother's house. It was a pretty weak alibi.
Chu Yingtao goes and arrests the wife and her lover. They confess to everything almost immediately. Just like that, the case is closed.
Su Wuming is seriously impressed with Yin Yao's skills. Wannian County desperately needs a good coroner, so he invites Yin Yao for a drink, hoping to recruit him. But Yin Yao is a bit of a lone wolf. He politely turns down the offer and leaves.
A New Mystery Begins at a Birthday Party
Meeting a Legendary Coroner
With that case done, Su Wuming, Master Fei, and Chu Yingtao follow a lead from the old man. They're looking for a legendary coroner named Geng Wushang. They find his house and Chu Yingtao knocks on the door.
The door creaks open. A figure wearing a terrifying, green-faced mask with fangs appears. The three of them jump back. Su Wuming introduces himself. The person immediately takes off the mask. It's a young woman. She is Su Chan, Geng Wushang's daughter.
Geng Wushang comes out and welcomes them. He's a friendly guy. He explains that his job has made him a lot of enemies over the years. People harass him all the time. He has his daughter wear the mask to scare off troublemakers.
It turns out to be Geng Wushang's 70th birthday. His senior apprentice, Zhong Shizai, has booked a private room at the fancy Du Kang Restaurant to celebrate. His other apprentice, Yin Yao, is also there. Su Wuming and his crew decide to join the party. While they're there, Master Fei notices Geng Wushang has a nasty-looking sore. He offers to treat it for him.
A Rival's Sudden Death
During the party, a man stumbles into their private room by mistake. He freezes when he sees Geng Wushang's group. He quickly backs out, checks the sign on the door, and mumbles "wrong room" before rushing into the room next door.
Su Wuming notices the strange reaction. He asks about it. Zhong Shizai explains the man's name is Dong Yue. He's also a coroner. His master was a rival of Geng Wushang back in the day. The two families have bad blood and don't associate with each other.
Everyone raises their glasses for a toast. Suddenly, they hear a bloodcurdling scream from the room next door. Su Wuming leads the group as they rush over. They find Dong Yue dead on the floor. An arrow is sticking straight through his neck.
Su Wuming immediately sends Chu Yingtao to the building across the street. She finds fresh footprints, just as he suspected. Back in the room, Su Wuming looks at the other guests at Dong Yue's table. He realizes every single person there is a coroner.
The Investigation Kicks Off
The Story from the Other Coroners
Su Wuming brings all the coroners from the victim's party back to the county office for questioning. They all tell the same story. They were invited to a banquet by someone called "General Lü." None of them knew him personally. But you don't turn down an invitation from a general. Plus, the Du Kang Restaurant is the hot new spot in town. They couldn't afford to eat there on their own, so they were happy to go.
The general's instructions were specific. The food was to be served at a set time, even if all the guests hadn't arrived. During the meal, Dong Yue complained about the sun in his eyes. He got up to close the window. As soon as he did, an arrow shot in from across the street and killed him instantly.
Chasing Down Leads
Next, Su Wuming questions the restaurant manager and a waiter named A Qiu. The manager says A Qiu was the one who served the food and opened the window in that room. He also says A Qiu is a bit of a troublemaker. He was once caught stealing food from a customer's plate. To keep his job, he started working extra hard. But after the murder, he panicked and disappeared.
The manager adds another detail. The room wasn't booked by General Lü himself. It was booked through an agent named Gao Wuniang. Using agents and fake names is standard practice.
Chu Yingtao manages to track down A Qiu. He tries to run but gets caught. A Qiu confesses that a masked person gave him instructions. He was told that if he did exactly as he was told, he could keep his job. Even though he was used by the killer, he's still in trouble. Su Wuming doesn't punish him severely, just sentences him to three strikes with a cane.
Gao Wuniang is also brought in. She says the same thing. A masked person hired her to book the room for a "General Lü." Around this time, Dong Yue's apprentice arrives to claim the body. He tells Su Wuming that his master wasn't suspicious about the invitation at all. He was getting ready for a big competition and was confident he would win. He believed he could finally take the title of "Chang'an's Number One Coroner" from Geng Wushang.
The Coroner Competition Heats Up
A Master's Sacrifice
Su Wuming is surprised to hear about this coroner competition. He thought it was a secret known only to the Yongzhou government. Now it seems every coroner in the city knows about it. Master Fei thinks the killer must be another coroner. Su Wuming believes that's jumping to conclusions.
Back at his home, Geng Wushang learns that his apprentice, Zhong Shizai, plans to enter the competition. He immediately kicks Zhong Shizai out and disowns him as a student. This sounds harsh, but it's actually a calculated move. By cutting ties, he frees his apprentice to compete without holding back out of respect for his master.
We also learn Geng Wushang is entering the competition himself. He has a powerful reason. He needs to win to earn the money to buy his daughter, Su Chan, out of her slave contract.
